Growing the Ghost
by Solidan
Summary: A continuation of the "New Dawn" Book. Details the early stages of Kanan and Hera's relationship and how they encountered the other eventual members of the crew. Rating subject to change.
1. Prologue

This story takes place between the book and the Rebels TV series when Kanan and Hera are rounding up the crew of the Ghost and _getting to know each other_. For the purpose of the story all aliens will speak Galactic Basic. I plan for this to be 10 chapters plus this prologue but that could change.

Thanks in advance for reading and any reviews!

All characters are owned by Disney and not myself!

-Prologue

Kanan took a sip of his drink as he silently observed the other patrons in the cantina. It was a rough crowd tonight. Thieves, smugglers, bounty hunters and the rest of galaxy's less savory inhabitants seemed to always migrate to places like these. A few short months ago, this was the sort of crowd that Kanan felt most at home with. That was before he managed to get mixed-up with a certain Twi'lek who, for the time being, held his attention and interrupted his normal routine of aimlessly drifting from planet to planet.

She sure was something though. Ever since Kanan heard her voice on Gorse he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. His old masters would probably describe it as the Force guiding him to a worthy cause. However, Kanan's more practical side, which he trusted much more than the force, knew that her lithe figure, pale green skin and mesmerizing blue eyes definitely influenced his decision to follow her on that fateful day.

Kanan was jolted out of his thoughts when a large Trandoshan brought his scaly fist down on the table.

"Boss see you now. Follow." He said in a barely intelligible reptile voice.

"Took him long enough." Kanan muttered as he followed the massive creature to small room toward the back of the cantina. Inside, Rebba the Hutt, flanked by his bodyguards, did little to hide his displeasure at seeing Kanan enter.

"I was hoping to see your beautiful friend again Mr. Jarrus. Why are you here instead of her?" The Hutt said in his booming deep voice.

"She sends her regards, but couldn't make it."

"A shame, what I wouldn't give to add her to my.."

"You don't want to finish that sentence Rebba." Kanan interrupted.

"Yes, yes, enough talk about pleasure, let move on to business shall we?" the Hutt said while Kanan nodded in agreement.

"The substance you asked me to research is being produced on a planet named Quesh. The Empire is buying the explosive from a Mandalorian clan who so far is the only manufacturer of the explosive. The formula is very complex and so far the Imperials have not yet found a way to reverse engineer it. Seems like something we both should be interested in, am I right? You want to stop the Empire from getting a new weapon and want to protect my credits invested in the current suppliers of explosives to the Empire."

"The fact that Mandalorians are involved complicates things." Kanan replied with a scowl on his face.

"Yes, not a trustworthy group. They make no sense to me. Worry more about their traditions and honor than credits!" Rebba snickered.

Which brings up questions as to why they are dealing with the Empire, Kanan thought. However his current company didn't give him much room to talk.

"We'll shut them down and destroy the formula. Seventy-five thousand credits with twenty-five upfront to cover expenses." Kanan offered.

"Fifty thousand and ten upfront, plus another fifty if you get me that formula."

"Deal."

Once Kanan received the credits he stepped out of the cantina and into the Nar Shadda night. It didn't feel good to be working with the Hutts, but as long as you kept credits coming their way, you wouldn't find a better source of information in the galaxy.

On his way back to the hangar he felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a familiar voice in his ear.

"How did it go?" Hera asked straightforwardly.

"Better than I expected actually. We have a job and even got some credits upfront." Kanan replied.

"Good! We're gonna need them to resupply the Ghost. Our food stores are looking pretty pathetic."

"Yeah, that's what happens when you shuttle refugees around for free, Hera."

"You saw what happened to their homes Kanan! With just a little bit of that explosive those Stormtroopers managed to bring that whole apartment complex down just to shut down one illegal Holo dealer." Hera argued.

"Okay, Okay. I know they needed our help, but I'm just saying; we can't bring down the Empire if we starve to death in deep space." Kanan added with a hint of annoyance, as he handed over the credits.

Hera immediately reacted,

"This is all you got? I should have been the one to meet with him."

Kanan stopped walking and addressed Hera directly.

"Did you see the way he looked at you last time? With all the extra muscle he had there today he may have meant to nab you up right there. And as much as I'd like to see you in a slave outfit, I kinda need you to fly the ship _captain_."

Hera started walking again and called back,

"I appreciate the concern but I know how to deal with scum like Rebba. Next time we go together."

"No thanks. We'd be late to the meeting since you would feel the need to feed every orphan we pass on the street." Kanan said as he jogged to catch back up with her.

"That was just one time! And who could have resisted such a cute little Wookie…" Hera shot back as the pair continued on their walk.

.

.

.

.

"Chop! Are we ready to take off!" Kanan called out as the pair walked up the ramp and into the Ghost.

A flurry of beeps and boops called out in answer.

"Okay! Okay! A YES would have done fine!" Kanan barked as he made his way the co-pilot's seat.

Kanan watched as Hera flipped some switches and took the controls, bringing the Ghost out of the hangar. He had to admit, she always looked attractive to him, but something about how she looked while flying really turned it up to eleven.

Hera felt his eyes bearing down on her.

"You gonna watch me fly or start programing our destination?" she asked, snapping him out of his stupor.

After the computer made the jump calculations, Hera glanced at the screen to see the final destination.

"Quesh! That's an odd place to find bomb makers." Hera exclaimed as the ship left Nar Shadda's atmosphere.

"Not just any bomb makers, Mandalorian bomb makers." Kanan added

"Mandalorians huh? You really should have got more credits for this job." Hera lectured as the stars turned into streaks of white light outside the cockpit.

-End of Prologue

Thanks for reading R+R please. The real chapters will be much longer!


	2. Chapter 1

-On the bridge of the Star Destroyer _Ultimatum._

Captain Sloane was finally starting to adjust to life as a full time captain of a Star Destroyer. After narrowly avoiding a disastrous start to her career, things became much more subdued in the following months. A problem would arise, the _Ultimatum_ would arrive and deliver, well, an ultimatum, and the sheer intimidation factor of the vessel would inspire obedience.

At first she was obsessed with trying to find answers on just who this "Kanan" character was and if he really was sent by the Emperor. However, her search proved fruitless and other duties demanded her full attention.

"Comm message coming through for you Captain. Priority One." Alerted the communications officer.

"I'll take it in my cabin." Sloane replied as she turned and navigated the short distance between the bridge and her quarters. When she entered, a blue image of a blond haired man in a fancy outfit appeared before her.

"Baron Danthe, to what do I owe this honor?" Sloane asked earnestly.

"Greetings Captain, I was hoping you can solve a little problem I'm having." He stated in a refined voice. "You do remember my new appointment, correct?"

"Of course, the Emperor granted your lordship personal control over the Thorilide mining operation on Gorse." Sloane replied.

"Then you remember that since the new deposits you discovered are on the hot side of the planet, there are certain challenges when mining it."

Sloane remembered that the planet Gorse was locked in a strange orbital dance with its sun and moon, resulting in one side of the planet being constantly pelted with heat, while the other was dark.

"I believe that that's why you were chosen for the project my lord. Your heat resistant droids are the only kind that can operate in that environment." Sloane said in a tone that suggested he should get to the point.

"Yes, my dear Captain, that is correct. However, the precision mining explosives that we currently use to dislodge the Thorilide are not designed to operate at such extreme temperatures. We need a new solution. And due to the quotas the Emperor is requesting, I don't have time for Imperial R&amp;D to come up with a new explosive." Danthe continued.

Sloane straightened her posture, ready to find out why she was needed. "What do you suggest my lord."

"There is a certain Mandalorian clan on Quesh that is producing an explosive that can be stored in a gel like form. The substance does not ignite or explode unless an attached detonator commands it to. Sounds like a perfect solution to my predicament, am I right?"Danthe asked with a cocky smile.

Sloane nodded, stood and attention and saluted. "What are your orders my lord?"

"They are what you may have guessed. Get the formula for this explosive and deliver it to me on Coruscant. If you succeed I may just be needing someone to escort to the Imperial founding celebration next month." Danthe offered.

Sloane considered. Every important person in the Empire would be at that party. For a Captain looking to make Admiral, a chance to mingle with the leadership families was worth more than any sum of credits.

"Consider it done, my lord." Sloane replied.

"Excellent! Oh and one more thing. I do rather enjoy monopolies on materials as vital as this one, if you catch my meaning." Danthe added as the blue image faded.

Sloane sighed and laid flat on her bed, her long black hair falling out of her hat. _Excellent_ she thought. One easy mission and she would be rubbing elbows with everyone she needed know in order to secure her promotion. Her thoughts then immediately went to the job at hand. Mandalorians. They would have powerful shielding so attacking from orbit would be a waste time. She would need boots on the ground. A strike team that could either take the formula through stealth or force.

Sloane got up and grabbed he holo-communicator. "Communications officer, get me Agent Manke and Agent Kallus. I have a job for them."

Kanan stared out the cockpit windows at the eerie blue light engulfing the ship. He had heard that too much time spent watching the phenomena could drive a man insane but Kanan paid the rumors no mind. For him it was a ritual. He imagined that the light was washing away all of the connections and experiences he encountered at his previous destination. It was how he stayed sane after so many years on the run. Hiding from the Sith was hard enough without carrying all your emotional baggage around with you.

"You're awfully quiet." Hera almost whispered from the chair across from him.

"Just trying to focus on the task ahead, _captain_." Kanan replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Meditating on it master Jedi?" Hera remarked playfully.

"No!" Kanan fired back clearly annoyed. "What happened on that day was a one-time thing, and never would have happened if you weren't about to be turned into Twi'lek paste."

Hera felt bad, having stuck a nerve. Clearly Kanan's Jedi past was a source of great pain for him. Hera knew that she needed him and his skills in order to get this Rebellion off the ground. Provoking him and setting Kanan up for an identity crisis was probably not the best use of his talents at this point.

"I'm sorry." She offered. "I wouldn't be breathing right now if not for you. Deciding to use those powers again must have brought back painful memories."

"Much less painful than seeing someone I care about killed before my eyes." Kanan replied, head turning towards Hera.

Their eyes met and softened, the sadness in both of them communicated that they both have seen that happen far too often in the past.

Kanan slowly inched over and started reaching for Hera's hand. Suddenly Chopper rolled into the cockpit making a ruckus on he was capable of. A flurry of beeps followed.

Hera stood up suddenly, breaking through whatever tension was left between them and addressed the droid.

"Okay Chop, I'll take a look at the Hyperdrive. We're still a few hours away from Quesh so we can run your tests." She said as she made her way to the back of the ship, leaving Kanan alone on the bridge.

Once she was out of view she let out and audible sigh. Hera did notice Kanan's incoming gesture and was happy for the interruption. Though his advances were nothing new, they usually came when the two were being more playful than serious. The fact that he might be ready to confide in her was a scary thought.

Hera certainly found him attractive and as much as he tried to argue, he was a good honest person who put himself on the line to help others. However, there was soon going to be so much more to him. Kanan was going to be a driving force in organizing this rebellion and eventually, with the right push, a Jedi.

That was a problem in and of itself. If she could get him to open up and embrace his past, Hera would effectively be forcing Kanan to push her away. Jedi did not believe romantic attachments.

So she could either give in to her desires and keep him from fulfilling his potential or guide him down a path where there would be no place for her. _So frustrating_.

Hera was snapped out of her thoughts with a zap.

"OW! Stupid droid! What was that for?!" She exclaimed.

Chopper waved his "arms" franticly and rolled his way to the engine room.

"Everything okay back there?!" Kanan yelled.

"Yeah, just great." Hera called back as she got to work on the Hyperdrive.

-End of Chapter 1

Another quick set-up Chapter. I promise they will get meatier when the mission begins!

Thanks for the early follows/favorites.

Shout out to Ryder Thorne for the first review!


	3. Chapter 2

Kanan and Hera slogged through the dense vegetation without much in the way of conversation. The awful humidity and rough terrain was beginning to wear on them and they were still quite far away from their target. The planet they were toiling on, Quesh, was a world that had gone through many changes across the centuries. Once a toxic planet fought over for its rare gasses used in stimulants production, Quesh was eventually abandoned by the Republic once the gas supply dried up. As a side effect; without the toxic gasses polluting the atmosphere, the flora recovered and turned the surface into a thick jungle.

The duo's march was halted when Hera spotted some movement in a nearby clearing. Closer inspection revealed the all too familiar sight of Stormtrooper armor. In this instance the armor was painted with a camo pattern that prevented the two from spotting them sooner.

"These are probably our buyers." Kanan thought out loud.

"Let's tail them. Should lead us right to these Mandalorians." Hera suggested.

"Good idea." Kanan agreed.

The two deftly followed the small group of Stormtroopers for almost an hour before they were led into a valley. Both were shocked by what was ahead of them. "There must be a whole battalion down there!" Hera exclaimed. "Yeah, those must have just been scouts we were following." Kanan offered.

"Looks to me like the Empire has gotten tired of paying for their explosives." He continued.

"Yeah, that's strike team if I've ever saw one." Hera said, clearly concerned.

"How should we play this captain? Wouldn't be a bad idea to pull the plug. Best not to get involved in a full scale battle between the Empire and Mandalorians if you ask me." Kanan reasoned.

"Isn't our goal to help people out who are fighting the Empire? If not now, then when?" She said with a fire burning in her eyes.

"A time when we aren't outnumbered 500 to 2 maybe?" Kanan joked. But instead of acknowledging him, Hera just kept on staring with a fierce glare. "Ugh. Okay, what do you have in mind?"

"I say we infiltrate them and sabotage their heavy weaponry. That should even the odds a little bit. Once the battle starts, we slip away in the confusion, break into the compound, and steal the formula. Easy right?" Hera explained with a sly smile.

"Not bad." Kanan replied, mildly impressed. "But I don't think a Stromtrooper helmet is going to hide your lekku."

"Then you bring me in as a prisoner that you caught on a scouting mission." Hera suggested.

"That again?!" Kanan exclaimed. "Why is it that every time we need to infiltrate the Empire we go with that plan?"

"Hasn't failed us yet, might as well stick with what works." She concluded.

Stalking the next scouting party out was easy enough and once the group was out of earshot of the main force, Kanan and Hera took them down before they ever knew what hit them. Kanan changed into one of the unlucky scout's armor, and they headed back towards the camp. They were immediately confronted by an officer and four armed soldiers. The Officer was sporting a distinguished beard and a face full of battle scars. "What's the meaning of this soldier!? He asked.

"My team encountered the enemy sir! They jammed our comms and took out the rest of my team. I managed to capture this one before I got away sir." Kanan reported through his helmet.

"Did you forget our orders soldier? There will be no prisoners today" the officer said, reaching for his blaster.

_This is bad. _Kanan thought as the world seemed to slow down around him. Hera was moments from being executed. Should he use the Force? No. Too many witnesses here. They'd be hunted down and dead in a few months. Try to shoot their way out? Not likely. Not against these odds. Time was running out. The imperial officer took aim and moved his finger over the trigger. _Hera_. I have to save her. Kanan decided as the force began surging through his body. Before he released it, he felt a tug on his waist that pulled him off balance and to the ground.

Sometime after the Officer stated his intentions, Hera rolled out a thermal detonator that beeped loudly before exploding. The Officer dove away in time but the Stromtroopers flanking him were not as lucky. The entire camp was alerted and searching for the cause of the explosion.

Before the dust settled, Kanan and Hera dragged themselves up and took cover behind an abnormally large tree. "I would start lecturing you on your plan making if we didn't have a hundred Stormtroopers breathing down on us." Kanan yelled, head still reeling from the explosion. "Was your plan to let them shoot me and go about your life as a Stormtrooper?" Hera yelled back and the blaster bolts started coming in.

"Okay, point taken. Have any other ideas in that pretty little head of your captain?" Kanan asked, while starting to return fire. Hera's eyes flashed around the Imperial camp, until something caught her attention. "Speeders! Over there." She pointed out.

"Oh, the prisoner thing and a speeder escape. Can't you come up with something original?!" Kanan yelled.

"Stick with what wo…"

"Don't jinx this one too!" he interrupted as he grabbed his own thermal detonator. Using his blaster Kanan shot repeatedly into the base of the tree until he burnt out a good chunk. He stuck the explosive inside, grabbed Hera's hand and started running for the speeder.

Right as they got in the open, the detonator went off, sending splinters in all directions. The massive tree started tipping and then fell over, creating some makeshift cover for the pair between themselves and the speeder.

"That was new!" Hera called out as she arrived at their destination and jumped to the controls. "Thank me later!" Kanan yelled, sliding in behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Punch it!"

The speeder roared to life and took off into the jungle. It didn't take long for three speeders to appear on their tail. "We've got company!" Kanan warned. Hera expertly piloted her machine, weaving between trees and around rocks. One pursuer wasn't up to the task and met a fiery end on a stone formation. "One down!" Kanan called out. "Slow us down a bit, I think I can get a shot on the next one!"

Hera did as requested and sure enough Kanan was soon staring down the pilot of the second speeder. With expert precision he fired one shot that struck the Stormtrooper in the shoulder and knocked him off his vehicle. "That's two! Whoever gets the last guy is getting treated to drinks when this is over!" He bragged.

"Kanan! Right ahead!" Hera warned. Up ahead, the last speeder was charging. Straight at them. _Playing chicken eh? _Hera thought. _Okay. Let's Go!_

The two machine's engines roared as they went right at each other. At the last second Hera turned away slightly, bumping their enemy. The other speeder wasn't able to recover and spun out. Hera threw her hands up in celebration.

It was Kanan however who noticed at the last moment that the speeder was empty. His eyes scanned the path the rogue speeder took and sure enough the same Officer from earlier was laying on the ground, blaster drawn. "Hera!" he called out desperately.

At the same time a bolt struck their speeder.

Hera tried to regain control but it was futile. The hit had damaged her steering. She slammed on the breaks but couldn't stop in time to avoid the oncoming tree.

Agent Makeb surveyed the crash site of his prey's speeder. It didn't take long to find the two riders lying amid the remains of their vehicle and the tree they struck. Both of them were still squirming.

"Kallus. They're alive. Send a transport for pickup." He called into his radio.

After giving his orders he approached Hera and stood over her, examining her features.

"Pretty thing. Maybe we won't execute you after all. I'm sure you can make yourself useful." He gloated.

"Don't…touch….her." A weak voice called out.

"Oh how cute. You really care about her don't you scum? Guess we'll have to keep you around to watch what we do to her."

Hate burned in the downed man's eyes and the ground started to rumble fiercely. Agent Makeb was shocked and started looking around for the source of the disturbance.

He never saw the shattered section of tree float off the ground. And never saw anything again after it pierced him through the chest.

End of Chapter 2

Author's notes:

First action sequence I've written in a while. Please let me know if it was easy to follow and what you guys thought. Any review, however short, is helpful!

Also sorry if the end was too violent for the rating but I didn't want a warning before hand to ruin the moment.


	4. Chapter 3

Hera awoke on a small cot in a simple concrete room. While trying to adjust to her surroundings, the memories of the fight started rushing back to her. "Kanan?!" she called out, franticly searching for him around the room.

"Your partner isn't here." Answered a small feminine voice from across the room. Hera followed the voice to its source and found a small girl, no older than twelve, sitting in a chair furiously working on something in front of her. The girl was a human with short dark hair and an olive skin tone. "He is up and talking to my father right now. You definitely took the worst of impact but it was nothing some Bacta couldn't fix."

"Guess I owe you one. Thanks" Hera said, sitting up now. "Don't be too thankful, we only saved you guys since you might have intel on the Empire." The girl stated rather bluntly.

"So are you my jailor or nurse then?" Hera asked. "I guess both" the girl replied, stopping whatever she was working on. "Name's Sabine of clan Wren."

_So the Mandalorians picked us up. _Hera thought before replying. "I'm Hera, pleased to meet ya." Sabine didn't respond and instead resumed working on whatever her project was. Hera's interest was piqued. "Can I ask what you are concentrating so hard on there Sabine?"

"Quiet. I'm just about finished." She replied. An awkward silence followed for the next few minutes until Sabine stood up with a satisfied look on her face. "Perfect." She muttered as she switched on a spotlight revealing a whole wall full of sketches.

"You're quite the little artist aren't you?" Hera observed as she made her way over to the wall and started skimming through the artwork. Weapons, vehicles, animals, and people were all captured in a variety of poses and situations with exquisite detail. Hera's eyes made their way to the picture in Sabine's hands and her face became flushed.

"Woah, woah, woah! What's this all about!" Hera exclaimed, ripping the picture off her and taking a closer look to confirm the contents of the sketch. Sure enough, she beheld a rather ….suggestive….image of Kanan and herself. "What the hell is wrong with you! Who just draws pictures like…..like THIS of people they don't even know!?" Hera lectured.

"What can I say? I was inspired." Sabine said, clearly unconcerned with Hera's opinion on her subject matter. "When I saw him trying to carry you away from that wreak with so many injuries of his own I just had to draw the two of you together."

Her immediate rage subsiding, Hera put the picture down on and made her way back to the wall. Another image caught her eye. It was the Imperial Officer from earlier, only he was impaled by a tree branch. Hera cringed. _This is one weird girl_ She thought. "So did this really happen or is it another of your delusions?"

"That one I saw first-hand." Sabine answered. "Something was off about the scene so I took a mental note and sketched it."

"What do you mean _off_?" Hera interrupted.

"I just thought it was strange that this dead guy's speeder crashed so far away, yet he came all the way over to your crash with a branch sticking out of his chest." Sabine explained. "So I sketched the scene to get another look and came up with a theory."

Hera tensed up as Sabine continued. "A secondary explosion from your speeder, broke this tree and sent a shard right at the guy coming to capture you. Pretty lucky if you ask me." Sabine finished, obviously proud of her detective work.

_I have a different theory. _Hera thought with a chill going down her spine. She had heard stories about the dangers of the dark side of the Force. Even Jedi with the best of intentions could be turned if they allowed their emotions to cloud their judgment. If Kanan was heading down this path she would have to do everything in her power to set him straight.

Kanan sat on the battlements of the Mandalorian compound accompanied by an enormous man armed to the teeth covered in thick plate. Dreg Wren was his name and he was the leader of the clan at the center of this debacle.

"A whole battalion you say? I knew the Empire wasn't a trustworthy business partner, but I thought we'd have a bit more time before they came to steal the source of the explosive from us." Dreg observed, grimly.

"Well, they **are **coming. And everyone in your clan will die if you don't abandon this place." Kanan explained.

"Running away isn't an option. Any Mandalorian would chose death in battle over becoming a refugee." Dreg replied.

"Is that what you want for your daughter? To die here for the sake of your clan's honor?" Kanan shot back. Dreg's face darkened but he remained firm as he answered. "She may be a little different from the rest of us, but make no mistake; Sabine is a true Mandalorian and will do her duty." Dreg took a step closer to Kanan. The man towered over the Jedi. "Also." He began. "Remember, you are a prisoner and if you question me again I'll deliver your head to the Empire personally. And believe me. If I thought that would help us I would have done it already."

Kanan tensed. The man seemed reasonable at first, but he still was a Mandalorian and challenging him like that probably wasn't the wisest move. "So what do you want from us?" Kanan asked.

"You have a ship I believe and your pretty Twi'lek friend is the pilot?" Dreg asked while Kanan nodded in reply. "Well we don't have any vehicles airworthy right now and are going to need air support when the Empire moves on us."

"So we help you out from the skies, sounds fair to me." Kanan decided. Dreg let out a little laugh and put an oversized hand on Kanan's shoulder. "I don't trust you not to leave us in the dust the moment you board, so you get to stay with me on the ground and fight until I feel you've done enough to repay your debt to us. Only then can you leave."

Kanan walked back to the quest room and found Hera and Dreg's daughter, Sabine, chatting happily by some sort of makeshift art gallery. When they noticed him, Hera immediately dove across a nearby table and stuffed something in her pocket while Sabine chuckled. Thanks to his own argument with Sabine earlier, Kanan had a good idea what she snatched up.

"You seem to be feeling better." Kanan noted with genuine enthusiasm. "Bacta really works wonders, and if anyone can treat battle injuries, it's the Mandalorians." Hera replied standing up. "So what's next?" She asked.

"You are going back to the Ghost to provide air support during the coming battle." Kanan answered. "I'm staying on the ground to help hold them off."

Hera was visibly concerned. "Kanan, that's crazy! You saw the size of that strike team, you'll be killed!" she yelled.

Sabine exited the room to let them talk it out and to ready a speeder to bring Hera back to her ship.

"We don't have a choice in the matter. We're at their mercy and believe me, that's a better situation than we'd be in if the Empire caught us." Kanan reasoned. "We fight until their leader dies or he releases me and then we get the hell of this planet."

"Kanan, I'm worried about you." Hera said softly, shortening the distance between them. A little surprised by her chance of mood he took her hand and reassured her. "I've survived through worse odds than this and you know it. Just fly safe and I'll see you when this is all over."

"It's not just that." Hera started, taking her hand back. "I think I know what happened after the crash and it concerns me. I know the dangers that Jedi face when they start using their powers like that." She said in a hushed voice. "Even if you did it for my sake."

Kanan hadn't expected this to come up and wasn't really prepared to deal with it. "I'm sorry." He finally decided on.

Hera wasn't satisfied. "That's all you have to say?" She asked.

Kanan exploded. "What do you want me to say? That I'll never do it again!? I won't lie to myself like that. That was the old way and look where it got them! I'm going to do what it takes to protect you and our idea of a rebellion. If I go too far once in a while then we'll just have to help twice as many people to make up for it."

"I don't think it works like that." Hera cut in.

"Says who?" Kanan replied, regaining his calm and grabbing her hand again. "There is no one making the rules anymore. Just the Empire. We have to trust in each other now." Kanan took a deep breath and finished with a question; "So are you willing trust me or not?"

Hera considered as tears welled up in her eyes. _What's wrong with me? _She thought. _Giving more weight to old stories than to all the good she has seen Kanan do with her own eyes. He would keep helping people with all of his strength until he drew his last breath. Nothing would change that, and if he ever crossed a line again, she would just have to be there to bring him back. _Hera decided. She surprised Kanan by suddenly pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Please don't die out there."

Dreg sat in the surveillance room, keeping an eye on the perimeter defenses until he was distracted by what looked like an argument between his two prisoners. He switched to the audio feed and began listening.

"I think I know what happened after the crash and it concerns me. I know the dangers that Jedi face when they start using their powers like that." The Twi'lek whispered.

A crooked smile formed on Dreg's face.

_Maybe I do have something that can get us out of this mess._

-End of Chapter 3

Author's notes: Thanks for all the new reviews! Keep them coming please!

I'm trying to get a chapter out every other day, but weekends can be hectic.


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